Won't You Be My Neighbor?

We recently watched Won't You Be My Neighbour?, the documentary about Fred Rogers, creator of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. There were some really classic moments that they show, like when he testified to congress to save PBS, when he met Koko the gorilla, and times he addressed children about serious topics in the news, like the Bobby Kennedy assassination.

The documentary showed footage from the very first episode; it was unbelievable. King Friday becomes fearful of changes that have been coming into the Land of Make-Believe and wants to build a wall and put barbed wire around his castle. This episode was written during the time of the Vietnam War, but it's incredible how it could have been written today. Ultimately, King Friday changes his mind when people send balloons with messages of love, hope, positivity, etc. over the wall. If only it were that simple. 

There has never been anyone else like Fred Rogers. There was a kind and quiet seriousness about him, and he really felt the importance of his mission to reach people with positive messages. He just had this amazing understanding of how children look at the world.

We could definitely use his positivity and kindness more than ever today, and I definitely recommend the documentary.